Conferences that Work

JANUARY 10, 2022

Most of the event industry and our clients continue to assume that if you can make the meeting bigger it’s a good thing. The massive disruption of in-person events since March 2020 has shaken our industry to the core. Online and hybrid meetings have seen less drastic reductions. It ain’t necessarily so.

Meetings 367

Meetings Meeting Design 2020 Speakers 367

Conferences that Work

APRIL 18, 2022

I’ve been writing about hybrid meetings for a long time; my first post was in February 2010. The COVID19 pandemic created an explosion of interest in hybrid meetings, and the marketplace and event professionals are still defining what “hybrid” means. (No, Sounds crazy, yes, but stay with me! The online portion.

2010 423

2010 Meetings Conference Travel 423

Conferences that Work

JULY 19, 2021

Ever since my first encounter with the hybrid hub and spoke meeting topology at Event Camp Twin Cities in 2011, I’ve been a big fan of the format. Yesterday [see below], I realized that hub and spoke is a great format for purely online meetings too. What’s a hub and spoke meeting? But first…. Flexibility.

Meetings 367

Meetings 2011 2021 Fashion 367

EventMB

DECEMBER 19, 2022

Skift Take: As people look for new reasons to attend events, some stand out by focusing more on the flow and less on the logistics. Andrea Doyle Read the Complete Story On Skift Meetings.

Meeting Design 209

Meeting Design Meetings Events Event Design 209

EventMB

MAY 10, 2018

The average employee attends approximately 62 meetings per month. Multiply that by 12, and you already have an impressive yearly figure – yet this is only a tiny part of more than three billion annual meetings, worldwide. Considering the high costs which can be […].

Meeting Design 163

Meeting Design Meetings Events Venues 163

Conferences that Work

MARCH 3, 2025

Aside from my first book , I havent written much about the effects of attendee status attendees’ “relative rank in a hierarchy of prestige” at events. It’s time to revisit this important topic because you can improve your meetings by making attendee status a real-time construct. Improve all your meetings!

Meetings 156

Meetings 2014 Conference Design Fashion 156

Prestige Events Magazine

MARCH 14, 2025

– Shonali Devereaux named as new podcast host – New in Events , a podcast from IBTM World, has returned for a much anticipated second season with Shonali Devereaux as its new host. From the show floor at IBTM World 2024, we hear from Bo Krger, speaker and meetings designer at Moving Minds.

2025 194

2025 2024 Meeting Design Global Events 194

Conferences that Work

SEPTEMBER 13, 2021

What is the mix of presentation versus interaction at your meetings? Traditional meetings focus heavily on presentation. Presentation versus interaction at meetings. But our meeting designs, in large part, haven’t changed to reflect this shift in cultural awareness. What should it be? The written word.

Meetings 315

Meetings Meeting Design Conference Event Design 315

EventMB

SEPTEMBER 29, 2023

Skift Take: Event attendees are younger than ever before. Now, planners have to find innovative ways of crafting engaging and impactful events. Andrea Doyle and Refugio Garcia Read the Complete Story On Skift Meetings

Meeting Design 193

Meeting Design Meetings Events Event Design 193

Conferences that Work

OCTOBER 11, 2021

I think it’s also a meeting problem: “The real problem of humanity is the following: we have Paleolithic emotions, medieval institutions, and god-like technology.” And so it goes with meetings. It’s why businesses sponsor meetings. All meeting design needs to recognize this reality.

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Meetings 2009 2002 Technology 320

Conferences that Work

JUNE 14, 2021

Why are our meetings still full of lectures? When the leading candidate for the Mayor of New York City has this take on how people learn, perhaps it’s not so surprising that we’re still sitting through endless broadcast-style sessions at meetings and conferences. It’s just the opposite. No related posts.

Meetings 348

Meetings 2021 Meeting Design Conference 348

Conferences that Work

FEBRUARY 20, 2017

And yes, I admit it, during the second day of my vacation while enjoying the harmonies I hear, I’m jolted to think about religious meeting design…. Religious services are thought to be around 300,000 years old — by far the oldest form of organized meeting that humans have created. Include lots of communal activities.

Meeting Design 166

Meeting Design Meetings 2014 Speakers 166

Conferences that Work

NOVEMBER 8, 2021

What are the fairest rules to use when running meetings? ” I think it’s reasonable to concentrate on fairness to participants : the majority of those involved with the meeting. All meetings have rules, whether overt or covert, conscious or unconscious, that influence how they proceed. Status and power at meetings.

Meetings 358

Meetings Conference Negotiating Speakers 358

Conferences that Work

JANUARY 25, 2021

How can we design the optimum balance between control versus freedom at meetings? Unless your constituency is bound to your event via a requirement to earn CEUs, members can withhold their attendance or avoid sessions at will. — It’s when we try to tightly control every aspect of our meeting that our events suffer.

Meetings 345

Meetings 2010 2020 Conference 345

Gallus Events

JULY 24, 2017

I have always used the metaphor of a production line to explain the need for meeting design. Unlike most of our events (which have scarcely changed in 20 years) a production line looks VERY different from the one I worked on during the long, painful, boring summers of the mid 1990s. Just In Time. A slow but deliberate process.

Meeting Design 124

Meeting Design Meetings Technology Sponsorships 124

Conferences that Work

OCTOBER 21, 2024

I’ve not always agreed with Freeman’s Reports , but, if you’re in the meeting industry, Freeman’s Trends Report Q4 2024 is a must-read. ” Fall 2024 Freeman Syndicated Survey of Event Organizers. Only a quarter of event organizers are constantly evolving their event designs. The result?

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2024 Event Design Meeting Design Education 240

Conferences that Work

FEBRUARY 5, 2024

Many meetings still focus on creating audiences rather than community. And not just at meetings. Damon Kiesow , @dkiesow@social.kiesow.net, Mastodon toot on Nov 06, 2022, 10:37 Kiesow concisely sums up why the news business and the meeting industry concentrate on audience rather than community.

Meetings 245

Meetings Meeting Design 2015 Conference 245

Conferences that Work

APRIL 11, 2022

Over the years I’ve designed and facilitated hundreds of meetings. One of the most common issues I address that is rarely acknowledged openly is the tension between the wants and needs of suppliers and practitioners at meetings. But what happens when both suppliers and practitioners at meetings attend sessions ?

Meetings 296

Meetings Conference Meeting Design Advertising 296

EventMB

APRIL 25, 2017

Meeting Design is the next biggest thing in the event industry. Download our new report with new research into how event planners design their meetings and events. I shared in January how Meeting Design was going to be the most revolutionary force changing the event industry.

Meeting Design 121

Meeting Design Technology Meetings Events 121

Smart Meetings

NOVEMBER 12, 2018

The meetings industry is changing, and this is good news. The Fall 2018 Meetings Outlook by Meeting Professionals International (MPI) confirms that the industry is alive, well and thriving. Other survey findings included a trend of shorter, more frequent meetings. 25 percent of respondents said events are more frequent.

Meetings 250

Meetings 2018 Meeting Design Marketing 250

Conferences that Work

JULY 2, 2018

Recently, a client asked for help designing a new conference. Thirty minutes of discussion with three stakeholders revealed they hadn’t yet settled on the event’s specific purpose, scope, and format. hoping that in the process the event’s purpose and desired outcomes will become clearer.

Meeting Design 192

Meeting Design 2012 2014 Meetings 192

Conferences that Work

MARCH 29, 2021

The essential characteristics of meeting professionals. If there is a heaven on earth in the event industry, there are four essential characteristics of successful meeting professionals you’ll meet there. Every successful meeting involves thinking about, planning for and executing countless details.

Meetings 244

Meetings Tourism Consulting Hospitality 244

Gallus Events

AUGUST 18, 2016

I was recently referred to a hotel in Barcelona as a “meeting design expert” I popped along and had a look at a good (if rather too traditional) meetig space. I met with a couple of their senior team and tried to get handle on their interest in meeting design. How venues can support meeting design.

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Meeting Design Venues Meetings Hotels 100

Conferences that Work

MAY 24, 2021

Are online meetings reducing our collective intelligence [CI] ? New research about online meetings. Translation: in the experimental setup used , the researchers found that online meeting participants were: better able to avoid interrupting each other; and. ” Artificial online meetings. I don’t think so.

Meetings 296

Meetings 2016 Consulting Conference 296

Conferences that Work

AUGUST 16, 2021

And it made me think about meeting design. And, me being me, I thought about what Marcy had just said in the context of meeting design. And meetings are no exception. But when we are fully engaged in a meeting, we are just there , immersed in and responding to what is happening. The rehearsal.

Food and Beverage 348

Food and Beverage Meeting Design 2021 Meetings 348

Conferences that Work

JUNE 12, 2017

I love my meeting design clients, but there is one mistake I see them making over and over again. Clients invariably ask me to help design their meeting after they’ve chosen a venue! Here’s why they do it, and why it’s a mistake. Read the full article at Conferences That Work.

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Venues 2010 Meetings Conference Design 221

Smart Meetings

AUGUST 15, 2022

Now that events are going back to in person, how can meeting professionals deliver the same level of detailed success metrics to the executive team about the range of value delivered on the investment? Two veteran meeting designers joined Smart Chat Live! Meet the Experts. Watch the entire webinar here.

Medical Meetings 246

Medical Meetings Meetings Trade Shows Meeting Design 246

SmartMeetings

MAY 6, 2019

Just like social media, event planning relies heavily on understanding ever-changing consumer preferences and behaviors. Meeting planners face the same problems as social media managers—competing for the time and attention of potential attendees. Consider these three key trends and how they can positively impact meeting design.

Meeting Design 102

Meeting Design Meetings Social Media B2B 102

Prestige Events Magazine

MAY 25, 2021

WFH and Zoom meetings have become the ‘norm’ over the last 14 months, but with the Government now easing restrictions around a return to the office and attending events, 65 Queen’s Gate in South Kensington has revamped its Kingfisher Room to gives businesses the option of a less formal atmosphere for meetings and get-togethers.

Meetings 243

Meetings Government Meeting Design Venues 243

Conferences that Work

SEPTEMBER 26, 2016

I’ve been promoting the Conferences That Work meeting format for so long, that some people assume I think it’s the right choice for every meeting. two meeting types and three situations when you should NOT use a Conferences That Work design: — Most corporate events. Well, it’s not.

Meeting Design 120

Meeting Design Conference Meetings Conference Design 120

Smart Meetings

JUNE 11, 2021

What can meeting professionals learn from this popular pop-up social media craze? Why not transform the welcome reception into a jungle or beach to fit your meeting theme and put everyone in a fresh frame of mind? The post What Meeting Profs Can Learn from Pop-Up Immersive Art Experiences appeared first on Smart Meetings.

Social Media 279

Social Media Meetings Venues Meeting Design 279

Smart Meetings

JANUARY 27, 2025

How can we make the next generation of attendees feel comfortable, not to mention the entry of young workers helping us create meeting magic? We asked Claire Lester, senior design strategist with Maritz Design Studio , for tips that will benefit everyone in the crowd. 1 Ditch the Labels Gen Z doesnt like labels.

Event Design 130

Event Design 2026 2012 Events 130

Conferences that Work

MARCH 3, 2022

Here’s a rare opportunity to ask me anything about meeting design and facilitation at a unique, free, online workshop. Join me next Thursday, March 10th, 2022 at 12:00 pm EST for Ask Adrian Anything ( AAA ): an online participant-driven workshop on the future of events. Experience a participant-driven online event.

Meeting Design 296

Meeting Design 2022 Conference Meetings 296

Conferences that Work

JULY 31, 2017

Although I have good reasons to champion meeting designs where the participants get to choose what they want and need to discuss and learn rather than a program committee , there is invariably a place for some predetermined presentations at conferences. Read the full article at Conferences That Work.

Meetings 220

Meetings Meeting Design Conference Speakers 220

Smart Meetings

MARCH 21, 2024

JT Long, vice president and content director of Smart Meetings, has an insightful conversation with Edward Perotti, an award-winning meeting designer and principle of EP Events and Experiences. From Order-Taker to Strategist: Navigating the World of Event Planning with Edward Perotti appeared first on Smart Meetings.

Event Planning 264

Event Planning Meeting Design Meetings Events 264

EventMB

FEBRUARY 1, 2024

Skift Take: Intentional meeting design has emerged as a growing trend since the pandemic changed everything about our industry. Here are five areas where meeting planners can apply intentionality to build better, more meaningful events. Visit Seattle Read the Complete Story On Skift Meetings

Meetings 194

Meetings Meeting Design Travel Sustainability 194

Conferences that Work

APRIL 9, 2018

Over the last five years I’ve heard increasing concern from the meeting professionals community about the deterioration of the quality of our national industry conferences. I’ll illustrate with the area where I have most experience: providing education at these meetings.

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Education Meetings 2006 2012 196